1
as in departments
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization
the federal agency charged with enforcing laws and regulations regarding the use of firearms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in instrumentalities
something used to achieve an end
by what agency do you plan to acquire this fortune?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agencies
Armed with subpoenas, the Secret Service and other agencies are intensively focusing on what might have caused the suspect to book a room at the Washington Hilton, less than two miles north of the White House, on the night of the annual dinner.
—
Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The president has not been as candid with his administration’s own controversies, but watchdogs in executive agencies have scrutinized some of his members.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
After receiving the message, his brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut to express his concern, and other family members reached out to police agencies.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Thank you to the USSS and all the law enforcement agencies who kept us safe.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Critics in the House Freedom Caucus argued against the bill on the grounds that government should not mandate how agencies spend their budgets.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2026
And by the way, there’s a humanitarian component here as well in terms of fertilizer, food, and other aid agencies that need that open for the ongoing crises in Africa.
—NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
For her, that means keeping the county safe to work, live, and play in, and working with county agencies to keep the roads and bridges safe.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Other agencies receiving programs from the department include the State Department, Department of Health and Human Services, Interior Department and the Labor Department.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The president has not been as candid with his administration’s own controversies, but watchdogs in executive agencies have scrutinized some of his members.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
After receiving the message, his brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut to express his concern, and other family members reached out to police agencies.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Thank you to the USSS and all the law enforcement agencies who kept us safe.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Critics in the House Freedom Caucus argued against the bill on the grounds that government should not mandate how agencies spend their budgets.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2026
And by the way, there’s a humanitarian component here as well in terms of fertilizer, food, and other aid agencies that need that open for the ongoing crises in Africa.
—NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
For her, that means keeping the county safe to work, live, and play in, and working with county agencies to keep the roads and bridges safe.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Other agencies receiving programs from the department include the State Department, Department of Health and Human Services, Interior Department and the Labor Department.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agencies
Noun
-
Homelessness continues to rise, basic infrastructure needs to be fixed or replaced and public safety departments need more resources.—
Rebecca Jones,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Measles crept into Utah and Arizona in June, with reports trickling into local health departments of patients coming to doctors and saying their children had just recovered from full-body rashes, and parents telling pediatricians that their whole family had just recovered from measles.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With bureaus established in all Australian capital cities, AAP’s domestic news coverage was taken up by regional newspapers and radio stations that could not sustain their own dedicated newsrooms.—
Kevin Patrick,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Tomkins began his career editing news summaries for Radio Free Europe’s foreign bureaus before joining Newsweek in 1957 as a foreign news editor.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bo Erickson | Reuters A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Latinos also are underrepresented as a demographic across elective offices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The second floor will include offices for village, police, and community development administrators, as well as staff break rooms and conference spaces.—
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One chapter closes, another opens The destruction of several Russian Kamov Ka-52s using drones doesn’t signal the end of the attack helicopter by any means.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Still, this isn’t a bad group by any means, and the team could easily go into the season with Barmore, Durden, Taylor, Williams and Farmer/Gregory.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The new special protective services unit would fall under the State Patrol and act as a clearinghouse for security for the Legislature, from coordinating the personnel to assessing threats.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Quixote’s fleet, lighting and grip, production supplies and communications rental services will continue in New York and Los Angeles.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As Sousa-Martins drove forward, another agent shot at him 13 times, injuring Sousa-Martins as well as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles who was already in federal custody.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The notice states 170,169 vehicles with hybrid systems built between November 2020 and January 2024 are affected by the issue, making the recall the biggest since Jaguar and Land Rover merged in 2008.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All 12 songs incorporate bells or bell-like instruments into their sparse mixes.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In this high-altitude corridor, several observatories operate side by side using some of the most sophisticated instruments ever engineered.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agencies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agencies. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
